UPDATE: Garden 2014

So here is our garden for this year....

It's bigger!

It's badder!!

It's all ours!!!

Above is the plan we created while planting.

We used the "Carrots Love Tomatoes" plan and adjusted it where necessary.

Some plants we already had planted in other areas of the yard, so we

weren't able to adhere to it very strictly.

The above shots are of our red and white potatoes.

The metal bin at the back is actually filled with spare soil.

Potatoes need to be mounded as the get taller...so we save

some dirt for that purpose.

Red and white onions in the above shot.

Many jalapeno plants as some other hot peppers at the front.

Our field of tomatoes!

There are 24 plants in this area, some romas and some hertiage varieties.

While I am loving not hauling water, the tomatoes are not loving all the rain we've been having.

Can you see the leaves that are yellowing at the back?

Heritage white corn...we grew it last year and saved the seeds

for this year!  Looks like it worked!!!

(we found the wood under our pile of logs for the campfire...

nicely repurposed to keep the weeds down)

Directly to the left of the corn are our two sweet potato plants!

We tried growing sweet potatoes once in 2011...

it didn't turn out then...so we thought we'd try again!

The last time the plants spent the whole growing season just trying to grow leaves!

The bunnies thought the leaves were mighty tasty...so the plants never got a chance to grow tubers.

Our yellow zucchinis are starting out great!

The green zucchinis...not so much...

We dismantled a black composter...and filled them with dirt.

The sides have slots...so you don't have to worry about the plants drowning

in rain water!  Score!

Our pumpkins...with one sad trellis...

I have to get me some T bars and do these

trellis thingies right!

The radishes are coming along...

The beets are shy.

We planted dill with them (as per the book)

and the dill likes the bed...

NOW WAKE UP BEETS!!!

Our cucumber machine makes its triumphant return.

We had such a great year with cukes last year.

We're taking a small break and only planted about a dozen of them this year.

Our kale seems to love it here!

The swiss chard on the left hand side of the bed...not so much.

I want to make kale chips so badly...

mainly so I can see what all the hype is all about...

\

Above shows our salad bar!

We have 5 different packs of lettuce and salad greens sprinkled

in this bed.  We forgot almost instantly what kinds we planted...but does it really matter?

SALADS!

Our spinach bed is pretty pathetic right now...

Hopefully it will make a come back...

or a decent fall crop from a second planting...

We have 2 rows of peas this year...cuz why not?

No seriously...we love peas.  

Especially sitting in the garden eating them straight out of the pod.

Each year we plan to store some in the freezer...and sometimes we actually do!

This year I am determined to get a whole large freezer bag full!

We also have to get to work on trellises (or is it trelli!?) for these peas.

Pea plants have a tendency to fall over and grow in the dirt.

We saved beans from last years crop.

We have no idea which beans are which...

but in this bed are green, yellow and purple wax beans.

Finally we have our acorn squash.

Again with the sad trellis...

So I've been pinning a TON of trellis ideas.

I will be posting soon with the results of my adventures into trellising.

(Trellising?  I have no idea...but you'll see some cool stuff for sure!)

I have to admit...last year we didn't plan much.
In fact, I made the mistake of having a few libations while planting seeds.
The result was that I had no idea what I planted and where.
(Laugh all you like)
It was a surprise when everything started growing...which was funny for about a week.
(oh who are we kidding...I'm still getting ribbed for that!!!)


Don't forget to send me your garden love!
I want you to post photos of YOUR gardens on my facebook group and page.
Lets celebrate our accomplishments together!!!

The early birds...

Spring is such a wonderful time of year...and I ache to get back into the garden.  I do have trouble resisting the urge to plant stuff outside right NOW...so what do I do to combat those urges?  I plant indoors!  Its a little tricky, as our cat Buster tries to help himself to the new green sprigs....but we try to keep the seedlings in an area that is tough for him to get to.  When the seedlings are big enough and the nights are warm enough...we move everything outside to our enclosed sun porch.  Finally they reach the garden and stay there until they are ready to harvest.

In case you were wondering, there are several things you can plant earlier than others.  There are also some plants that, if you are starting them from seed, you must start them early.  Peppers take a while to grow to maturity in Canadian weather...so be sure to get those seeds germinating well before you plant them outside. 

Here are a few things that you can plant directly in the ground just before the May 24th weekend:

Peas
Spinach
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Kale
Some lettuce varieties

We like to get some going before that though...so here is the growth update on our spinach!




Pictured taken right before said cat dumped the lot...some lived...miraculously

 We start the seeds in manure or potting soil with a layer of plastic wrap on top.  The plastic wrap acts like a mini-greenhouse, trapping in the heat and moisture.  Use a spray bottle to wet down the soil once a day or so for the first while.  It takes some time, but if you persist, the seeds will sprout.  Once the seedlings reach the plastic wrap, we peel it back and let them soak in the sun!

When we start things like peppers, the package says to start them in a soil-less medium.  If you're wondering, we use a clear pyrite baking dish, 9 x 13".   You wet down a paper towel and line the bottom, then sprinkle in the seeds.  Add another layer of wet paper towel and seal with plastic wrap.  Set in a sunny window for a few days, checking on moisture and spritzing down when needed.  You should be able to see the seeds sprout a tail and then its ready for the soil medium!  Start pepper seeds in March if you have a warm sunny place available.  Keep planting pepper seeds each week to get a full crop that lasts the whole season.  Peppers, sadly don't store well for a long period of time.

Spinach is a great plant for succession planting, as you can plant in cooler weather and  it will still grow wonderfully.  August is tough for spinach though...dry and hot...spinach tends to bolt (go to seed) quickly in those conditions.  Last year was terrible for our spinach...but then again, we were experimenting with location of leafy greens.  Can't always predict what will happen in new conditions. 

What are you planting these days?

Are you itching to turn soil yet?

I am...